Dreaming in Moons
by Draconian Elflord
Summary: Kurama stands watching the stars, thinking of his past. Hiei comes to join him. Reflection on past for both characters. Med to light underlines of shonen-ai, but really more just friendship. Please R+R, but please, don't be cruel.


Kurama: We're filling in for the Elflord today. Hiei: *-_-* *whispers under breath* She's not a boy, how can she a be an Elven Lor- Kurama: *hits Hiei gently to remind him* That's none of our concern, Hiei. Anyway, as I said, Elflord was feeling a bit . . . shall we say . . . sulky about her duties as an authoress today, so- Hiei: *under breath again* What you mean is she's laz- Kurama: *hits Hiei again* *clears throat* As I was SAYING *glares at Hiei* we're filling in for Elflord. We're going to say the disclaimer. Hiei: *-_-* Ehh . . . it's a living. Kurama: *ignoring Hiei this time* Elflord does not own the Yu Yu Hakusho anime. Hiei: *big sigh, swing sword lazily* Nor does she own any of the characters. Kurama: These are the property of much richer, much more talented people. Claiming such would be plagiarism.  
  
Kurama: Hiei, don't you have something to say? Hiei: Umm . . . no? Kurama: *whispers something to Hiei* Hiei: Oh, alright . . . a little author's note. Elflord does not hold the plot to be orthodox. She uses many parts of the original plot as she believes support her fic, but she is not afraid to rewrite what parts of the plot she feels is appropriate. Please don't flame for plot reasons. There. Is that everything? Kurama: Yes, I think so. Thank you, Hiei. Hiei: *-_-* Whatever.  
  
Dreaming in Moons  
  
The moon rose, white and full above his head, making the grasses silver in their wake. His bright eyes filled with the light as he lifted them to the sky. He was alone, standing alone in a clearing in the woods. Alone, but not lonesome.  
  
The stars were so beautiful tonight. Like a flock of light bugs, they seemed to flutter before him. A slow, cool breeze fluttered through his long hair, all the way to the bone, but he was not chilled. It was pleasing, cool caressing his skin.  
  
Up in the stars . . . home was out there somewhere. He couldn't quite remember where. Such a very long time ago . . .  
  
How many kitsunes were left?  
  
Sometimes he almost regretted all he'd done. But back then, it was a choice of life and death, and he chose life, despite consequences . . .  
  
The voice of Toiya reechoed from his memory on his ears . . .  
  
"You must be very old; experienced, as I am . . ." Yes, indeed, he was right; he was very old. Older than Toiya himself, and far older than any of his teammates. Perhaps he was as old as Genkai's great-grandmother. It was hard to remember. The kitsunes did not keep time in the same way the humans did.  
  
Such a young race, these humans. It seemed a wonder how they survived sometimes, what with their wars, their weapons of unending terrors far beyond the reaches of imagination. How they hadn't destroyed themselves was a mystery to him.  
  
And yet, there was one curiosity that never ceased to amaze him.  
  
Emotion. What were these things, these hearts, this thing inside humans that could feel so deeply? He was sure he'd never felt such stuff for a fellow demon. Intellect had always seemed, to him, the better path. But Yusuke . . . he had seen that utter power, that fury, that energy in his eyes. And why? For his beloved Keiko.  
  
But then again, hadn't he himself been willing to give up his life for his adopted mother's? This woman, this common mortal woman who knew him by the name Suuichi; he'd been willing to give it all up for her. That surely could be called emotion. Perhaps it was love.  
  
Love . . . such a mystery. The proof of its existence is that you don't know it's there except intense situations.  
  
Demon traitor. That's what Gama had called him before he died.  
  
Was this love the sign of a traitor?  
  
From his hand, he lifted the rose to his face, inhaling the sweet perfume. He found himself smiling at the thought of it. It never waned, though it was even older than he. With a graceful flick of his wrist, the stem shot from the flower, growing and growing until the pristine but deadly curves of the Rose Whip drifted in the moonlight, a shower of rose petals cascading down on him.  
  
He could almost remember the otherworldly forest where he had plucked this treasure from the top tangles of an immense, poisonous, and yet sacred rosebush. He'd become very ill from loss of blood and poisons, but it was worth it. The Rose Whip was known as one of the most unique yet powerful nature weapons.  
  
The beautiful, deadly curves drifted down towards him, its shining thorns greedy to tear. One jerk sent the rope swinging away, shearing the tall grasses in an arc. Another swing at an angle severed the branches from several trees. His eyes darkening, he watched the great loops dancing gracefully, grotesquely through the air, whirling about his ears, and next high as the moon. It wavered to his every move. It knew the touch of its master. Once, a long time ago, it had fought against him, being untrusting. Now it moved with ease, a natural extension of his arm.  
  
Suddenly, a sense of folly came over his face. What was he doing here? Out in the middle of the night, dreaming of past reminisces! With a quick snap of his arm, he brought the whip crashing to the ground, striking with a spark.  
  
The flash revealed someone perched in a nearby tree.  
  
"Identify yourself!" he called, his hand grasping the coils of the whip. "I warn you, I'm armed!"  
  
"I can see that," a familiar voice answered.  
  
He breathed a sigh of relief and transformed to whip to its delicate rose form. "Hello, Hiei."  
  
"Kurama," the Fire Demon dropped down and landed at his side. "I was wondering where you got to."  
  
"I apologize," he apologized. "I didn't worry you, did I?"  
  
"Not me so much, but Boton was a bit nervous," Hiei sat back in the grass. "Come to think of it, all of the girls were, except Shiruzu, of course."  
  
"Good girl, she is," Kurama sat down beside him. "Shame about her brother, though, isn't it?"  
  
The two of laughed lowly at the little joke but soon quieted, looking up at the stars in wonder. Stars require silence.  
  
"What were you dreaming, my kitsune friend?" Hiei asked at last. "Lost in the stars, perhaps?"  
  
"Dreams are for fools and lovers, Hiei, and I am neither," he corrected him. "I was meandering in the night sky to ponder awhile."  
  
"Meanderings can get you lost."  
  
"Not if you have an end in mind."  
  
"Did you make it to your end?"  
  
"No."  
  
Hiei didn't mention the obvious contradiction, and Kurama was grateful. More silence. The stars were so beautiful tonight . . .  
  
"May I ask what it was?" Hiei asked abruptly.  
  
"Hmm? What was what?" Kurama asked distractedly.  
  
"Your end. What was it?"  
  
"Determining if demons can truly love or not and if I am a traitor to my race for feeling love."  
  
"Two fine ends if I ever heard them. What did you find?"  
  
"I already told you, I haven't concluded anything."  
  
Hiei turned at him suddenly and looked him right in the eye.  
  
"Did you never think the answer is in front of you?"  
  
"I did not in particular. Explain."  
  
"Simple. If you are a traitor to your race for loving, demons cannot love, and you are not a demon. However, if demons can love, than you cannot be a traitor to your race for loving, and you are a demon. You are clearly not human, so you must be demon . so we conclude . . .?"  
  
"We conclude demons can truly love and I am not a traitor for feeling love," Kurama laughed softly. "You're starting to sound like me. I hope your hypothesis is correct, Hiei, for your sake and mine."  
  
Hiei mulled over this last piece of speech. "I suppose I myself have been getting a little . . ." Kurama saw, with a friendly smile, that Hiei was having trouble saying this part, ". . .er. . . sentimental . . . since my sister reappeared . . ."  
  
"You're a good brother to her, Hiei," Kurama answered calmly. "She would be very proud of you."  
  
More silence. Treading on mood points, but they were best friends, so it was allowed.  
  
"You will tell her someday, won't you?" Kurama asked offhand.  
  
"When she's a bit older, yes," his friend frowned slightly. "She's but a girl now. I've no right to spoil that with tragic stories."  
  
"Of course, you are right. I think I might do the same."  
  
Silence.  
  
"Do you ever think about home, Kurama?" the perceptive Fire demon asked. "I often think of the Winter World where I was born. My mother was killed before I got much chance to know her."  
  
"I'm sure she often thought of you too," the fox sighed thoughtfully. "She surely loved you very much."  
  
"Sometimes," Hiei continued, "I wonder if perhaps my father is still alive. I never knew him at all, you know."  
  
"Yes, I think you've told me before . . ." Kurama muttered, still staring at the stars. "I was left alone at a young age myself . . ."  
  
Stars . . .  
  
"Y'know, they're going to think we took off," Hiei said. "We might as well hang out a little longer."  
  
"I suppose you're right," Kurama stood up, stretching. "I wonder . . . what do you think, Hiei? Are we demon traitors?"  
  
"To be honest, I'm not I sure care," Hiei stood and took up his sword from the grass. "Traitor or not, Kurama, guys like us don't give a damn."  
  
"Perhaps you're right. If you're not careful now, you'll start taking after me."  
  
"Not in your lifetime, my friend," he began to lead the way back to the hotel.  
  
Kurama smiled at his friend, remembering when he thought such ways. "Some lifetimes last a very long time, Hiei."  
  
"Yes," Hiei agreed. "And friendships even longer."  
  
THE END 


End file.
